Ljubljana Castle, it's skylines and views
- Views from the Ljubljana Castle, Funiculare, Courtryard, Panoramic Tower, Crystal Palace, Slovenska road, St Joseph's Church, Mount St Mary, St Nicholas Cathedral, Franciscan Church, Old Town, InterContiental, A-Tower, Situla, R5
Right above Ljubljana’s Old Town is the Ljubljana Castle (Ljubljanski grad or Laibacher Schloss), that stands on a high hill, and is one of the city’s major landmarks. It can be reached by modern funiculare (a kind of diagonal tram or elevator) that goes up the hill, or stairs. On top of its Panoramic Tower, is an observation terrace with a clock and a flag with a dragon on top of the castle, the coat of arms symbol of Ljubljana. It was originally a medieval fortress, probably built in the 11th century. It was the seat of the lords of Carniola, a historic region in today’s Slovenia. Today the building is used as a major cultural venue, after centuries of various purposes. Canons are preserved that used to defend the city. The structure has been heavily modernized with modern glass parts and there are museums and terraces with amazing views over the city. There are also modern elevators and stairs inside the building. Unfortunately much of the building’s historical feeling have been lost. A cool feature though, is that parts of the rock are visible from the interior and you can see the pillars that holds the castle. The castle has its own chapel, St George. Surrounding the castle are defense walls and in the center is a spacious courtyard. Today there is a restaurant, Rock Hall –where the rocks are visible and a jazz club.
You can enjoy views of the whole city, from the Old Town with its historic churches, the modern highrises in the West part and mountains in the outskirts. The tallest building in Slovenia, the Crystal Palace, is in the Northern outskirts. Ljubljana has a decent skyline for being a European city with only 296 000 inhabitants.
